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The Michigan Legislature is afraid to raise taxes for road repair because, I assume, its members are convinced that it will be held against them on Election Day.

There is no perfect tax that would be fair to all, but the consensus is that an additional tax on gas/diesel fuel would be the best. A user tax seems far fairer than a general tax that might impact people who don't directly use the roads.

But no, both Republicans and Democrats are too inept to get together and do something about this most basic part of our infrastructure.

I find it inconceivable that they are so devoid of leadership that they are unable to pass any sort of bill that would properly fund the necessary repairs and rebuilding of our dangerously ignored roads. Forget that historically they have never spent enough to do the job properly. Normally, repairs seem to last only a few months at best.

Tourism also depends on smooth roads. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to travel here with the current shape of our roads. There are too many alternative destinations that don't require driving over the bone-jarring roads that Michigan is becoming known for all over the country.

From a political point of view, I only hope that our voters have at least as much wrath for elected officials for not doing something about our roads as they would have about any potential tax increase.

I have no doubt that many of our elected officials will simply lose their elected positions. The voters are not going to ignore or forget this basic inability on the part of our elected officials to do the most basic functions of state government.

Voters can take so much and then they will react. Politicians ignore that at their peril.

It doesn't matter what political persuasion your elected official is. I am sure that we will hear plenty of politicians claim they were in favor of funding road repair, but it was the other guy's fault. That is a lame excuse that won't hold much water when Election Day rolls around.

Our system and our legislators have failed the business community and the public at large. It will be amusing to hear their alibis over the next few months.

It will also be interesting to watch the carnage at the polls in November. We shall have to wait and see.